


(even with the distance) our hearts still beat the same

by descending



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Ambiguous/Open Ending, First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29603760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/descending/pseuds/descending
Summary: “I end up where I’m needed,” Donghyuck says before he plops down next to Jeno. He leans back on his hands, neck tilted back with his eyes staring upwards longingly, the moonlight illuminating his face. Jeno can’t pinpoint a single star in the sky, only able to focus on the constellations on the side of Donghyuck’s face, little dots trailing all the way down his neck. “And I’ve been around.”“But you don’t stay,” Jeno replies. It’s not a very challenging response, and he’s not really expecting anything in return. The stiff line of Donghyuck’s body tells him all he needs to know. Donghyuck’s told him that he’s going to leave.(Donghyuck comes from the stars.)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	(even with the distance) our hearts still beat the same

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to the ALW mods [everyone claps]
> 
> title taken from nobody, not even the rain by la dispute

Jeno lets his body move on autopilot, clearing his mind entirely until the only thing that registers is the wind blowing past his ears as his legs pedal with a steady rhythm on an uneven path.

It’s getting darker, and Jeno doesn’t have much longer until he has to wheel his bike back around and go home. The tall trees hanging overhead cover most of the little light that’s left, save for the moon and the north star peeking through the gaps in the leaves.

Just as he’s about to stop and check how far he’s gone on his phone, there’s a flurry of light above him. Bright flashes of purples, pinks, and yellows streak across the sky, fireworks exploding in a silent flurry. The lights sparkle across the sky for few seconds more until they’re followed with a _bang_. It’s so strong that Jeno can feel the ground underneath him rumble. He skids, his hydraulic brakes saving him from disaster, as he snaps his head around to see what’s happening.

There’s dust rising in the distance and he lets his bike drop, not even bothering to get the kickstand out. He finds himself running toward the rising clouds. Belatedly, he thinks that he's going in the wrong direction, toward something that could be dangerous, headed straight to something that might mean bad news for him, but he can't seem to make himself turn back.

The trees begin to thin out and the dusty clouds disperse. What Jeno's left with once he gets past that and into the barren clearing is—a person.

There's someone in a heap on the ground, barefoot and clothed in nothing but a tattered jumpsuit.

“Are you okay?” he calls out. The figure doesn’t respond, laying there still in silence. He only has his bike and his phone with him, he’s not prepared for this or aware of what the next step should even be in a situation like this. He’s already beginning to sweat nervously, when he realizes that he should probably call an ambulance. He’s just got his phone in hand, barely even unlocked it, when he hears a sound coming from where the body is. 

“Don’t,” he hears the figure say. It comes out weak, like it’s painful to get the words out from their throat. “Please don’t get anyone else.”

Jeno pauses in his search, looking back at the figure. There’s a possibility that this is dangerous. The sky was exploding just now. This is dangerous, and clearly, a trap, and Jeno needs to find someone—quick—because every second he spends not taking action feels like critical time wasted. He’s torn, unsure if he should ignore them and start calling for help, or listen to their request.

The person gets on all fours slowly, rolling their neck back and forth like they’re working out the kinks. When they sit up, still moving a little gingerly, Jeno meets eyes with the most beautiful boy he’s seen in his life. He’s maybe around Jeno’s age, with long sandy hair and sparkling eyes that Jeno can see from where he’s standing. His skin is _glowing_.There’s no other way to describe it. Where dirt from the ground should be, is glitter - heaps of it cascading off of him as he dusts himself off. 

Jeno’s immediate reaction is to jog toward him, sink to his knees, and cradle him until he’s sure that he’s uninjured. He has one foot forward before he stops himself. Minutes ago he was watching the sky change colors. There’s an uneasy feeling turning around in his stomach, but more than that, he’s drawn to this boy, undeniably a single step away from going to help him. 

And, really, what is Jeno supposed to do?

“Are you okay?” Jeno asks again. The boy seems to be, pulling himself up to his feet and standing still for a bit. He’s good for a moment before his knees buckle and he’s stumbling. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Jeno’s feet are moving before he can think about it. He’s next to the boy in seconds. 

“Please don’t call for anyone,” the boy says. He reaches for Jeno and latches onto his forearm. “Anything but that.” 

“Then how can I help you?” Jeno holds the boy up by tucking himself under a shoulder and letting his weight lean on him. “You can barely stand up.” 

“Is there anywhere you can take me? Like - your house?” The boy looks around as if suddenly realizing that they’re in an open clearing. “I can’t be out here.” 

Jeno shouldn’t. This is a stranger. An ambulance is a call away. 

Well. 

“It’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Make sure you lean back against me,” Jeno instructs after getting the boy up on his handlebars. Jeno expects him to look at him funny, or hesitate before he does it, but all the boy does is slump back against him and tighten his grip on the handlebars. 

☆★☆

Once he’s clothed, fed, and wrapped in the fluffiest blanket Jeno can smuggle from his parents’ good linen closet, the boy is glowing once again. The sparkly dust from earlier isn’t covering his skin anymore, but he’s still got an aura around him. Jeno closes his door, triple checks that it’s locked, and feels entirely beside himself as he relaxes for the first time in hours and tries to understand what he’s gotten himself into.

Jeno can’t stop looking at him, a moth drawn to a flame, unable to tear his eyes away from the boy in front of him. He doesn’t know where he should start. 

“I just realized that I never got your name.” 

“It’s Donghyuck.” 

“Aren’t you going to ask for my name?”

“I—” Donghyuck’s eyebrows furrow. He shakes his head before continuing, “right, of course. What’s your name?” 

“Jeno.” 

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Do you remember how you ended up in the forest?” Jeno asks. 

“I came from there,” Donghyuck points out the window, toward the sky. Jeno thinks of pinks and purples flashing. Donghyuck cuts his eyes to Jeno. “The stars. I know you saw.” 

Jeno falters, because, yes, he _saw_ —but it still doesn’t make any sense. “I don’t understand.” 

“I can’t really explain it,” Donghyuck shrugs. He catches on to the look Jeno is shooting him and rephrases it. “It’s just. There are things I know and things I don’t know, you know?” No. “And I know I’ll be out of your hair in a few days.” 

“Let’s say I believe your whole thing about the stars, or whatever,” Jeno adds air quotes around the majority of his sentence, getting an exasperated sigh from Donghyuck. “What are some other things you know?” 

There’s not much that Donghyuck knows—or rather, there’s not much he seems willing to tell Jeno. Donghyuck doesn’t have an age, or place of birth, or anyone to contact even though he’s missing. He can’t tell Jeno why he landed where he did or where he was before he got there. Jeno learns all of this in a span of five minutes, each new bit of information feeling like anchors dropping in his stomach. This is a lot to do for a practical joke. Donghyuck tells him everything with a serious look on his face, his expression never faltering even as he reassures Jeno that there’s nothing anyone can do to help him.

“We really should go to the hospital,” Jeno suggests. “Or there’s crisis lines. Or—The police?—no, definitely not. There’s the internet! Maybe you just hit your head really hard? Do you want an icepack?”

Donghyuck smiles at him. It reaches his eyes, and he shakes his head like Jeno suggested extremely nonhelpful things. "None of that will help, but thank you. Just staying here helps."

"No," Jeno replies, shaking his head. This is absurd. He's brought a stranger into his house, given him the benefit of the doubt, and all he's left with is more questions. "We have to do something, I can't just—what? Hide you in my room?" Jeno shakes his head with more force. "No, we have to figure something out. Maybe my parents—"

Donghyuck lunges forward, latching onto Jeno so that he can't move. "Please," he pleads, his eyes starting to shine. "Just—at least give me a few days?" Jeno takes in the furrow of Donghyuck's eyebrows, the tremble in his hands where his fingers are wrapped around his wrist. "Please?"

He needs to tell him a firm no. He needs to regain his sense of self-preservation and kick Donghyuck out; report this to the authorities; get confirmation that he's not losing his mind. What he should do is tell _anyone_ , get some confirmation that he’s not dreaming Donghyuck up. 

Yet—

"Okay," Jeno says. He'll give him a few days.

☆★☆

It's strange having Donghyuck just _in_ his room like he's been there before, occupying the space like it's his own. Jeno expects to wake up and find that he's dreaming this whole situation up at any moment, but it doesn't come.

He does have to go to work, though, as tempted as he is to stay home and make sure Donghyuck doesn't rob him of everything he owns. His concern for his belongings is what’s making him not want to go, not concern for Donghyuck that’s been swirling in his gut. He explains that he has work to Donghyuck and he's easily agreeable, promising to stay right where he is until Jeno returns. Jeno’s parents have been busier than ever lately and it’s not like they snoop in his room, so he figures Donghyuck can self-entertain while Jeno’s out. 

This plan works out seamlessly for a few days until one evening Jeno gets back to an empty room. His door is closed but one of his windows is ajar, chilly air drifting in. Donghyuck is nowhere to be seen.

 _Deserved,_ Jeno thinks. He expected it, but he was hoping it wouldn't be like this. Then again, inviting strangers into your house can only go one way. He’s about to check his room for signs of Donghyuck—no, for signs of anything missing—when his door creaks open. 

"So you tell me I can't go to anyone to ask for help, and against my better judgment, I agree," Jeno reminds Donghyuck. "I agreed because I thought you'd be in danger. But if you can scale the side of my house and go wherever you please, and then come through the front door, then I don't think you really need my help, do you?"

Donghyuck does have the sense to look like he's regretful. "You're doing so much for me, I swear." He scuffs a foot on Jeno’s floor before mumbling, “Usually you don’t get back until...” He cuts himself off to apologize again. “I’m sorry. I was bored.” 

Jeno deflates. “No, I’m sorry.” He can pretend otherwise but he was worried. He wants to keep Donghyuck safe like he’s been trying his best to do, even without an ounce of direction on how to do it other than offering him somewhere to stay. “I’m overreacting. I told you that you could stay with me and I obviously don’t control what you do.”

“I get it,” Donghyuck says, nodding toward the window. “I left your window open.” 

Jeno gets an idea. “Do you wanna go somewhere, then? Together?” 

There aren’t many places Jeno can take Donghyuck without nosy neighbors asking about his new friend, so he sets Donghyuck up with his older bike that’s been taking up dust in the storage and waits for Donghyuck to get his wobbly bearings together for them to ride past the clearing where they first met, down a little further to the shore.

Once Donghyuck reaches the sand, he’s off running, kicking off his shoes and chasing the waves as they roll in. 

Jeno finds a spot to sit and watches him, listens to the melodic sounds of his laughs carrying through the wind. 

“You ever been to a real beach before?” Jeno asks once Donghyuck stops running around. Where they are is a poor excuse of a beach, more rock than sand and cold murky water.

“I end up where I’m needed,” Donghyuck says before he plops down next to Jeno. He leans back on his hands, neck tilted back with his eyes staring upwards longingly, the moonlight illuminating his face. Jeno can’t pinpoint a single star in the sky, only able to focus on the constellations on the side of Donghyuck’s face, little dots trailing all the way down his neck. “And I’ve been around.”

“But you don’t stay,” Jeno replies. It’s not a very challenging response, and he’s not really expecting anything in return. The stiff line of Donghyuck’s body tells him all he needs to know. Donghyuck’s told him that he’s going to leave. 

“It’s not up to me.”

Jeno scoffs. “So if you’re needed here now,” he holds a palm out, gesturing at the dark water in front of them, seemingly neverending, “you really don’t know what for?”

Donghyuck is tracing a lone finger in the sand, an idle back and forth disrupting the uniformity. He looks up and into Jeno’s eyes and for a moment, Jeno’s scared, taken aback by the look on Donghyuck’s face. There’s a delicate kind of sadness in Donghyuck’s eyes, as incorporeal as the stars Donghyuck says he comes from.

“This time,” Donghyuck says, “I’m not so sure.”

“We can figure it out—we can figure out where to call, and I can ask—“

“No.” Donghyuck shakes his head, finality in it. “Just know that I really appreciate you letting me crash with you.” 

Jeno wants to push more, but Donghyuck doesn’t look like he’s going to say much else. 

“You shouldn’t try to hold on to things that aren’t permanent,” Donghyuck says a few minutes later, his voice low, rolling out and fading into the distance with the water. The waves come rolling back in and don’t stop before water reaches their feet, rising higher, soaking past their ankles, evening out the grooves Donghyuck dug and leaving nothing in its place. “At least that’s what I’ve learned.”

Jeno turns away from Donghyuck and tries a bit harder to focus on the night sky. It’s difficult, but he sees stars glinting dimly in the night. As soon as he thinks he can see enough to count, the lights are gone, replaced with the darkness that was there before. “Is anything permanent?” 

Donghyuck smiles sadly. “Even after all this time, I still don’t know.”

☆★☆

They ride back in near silence, which is what makes the kiss such a shock. 

Jeno shuffles them in through the front door and past his mom napping on the sofa to his room. He closes his door with a click and Donghyuck is so, so close to him. They’re nose to nose, and really, they don’t even know each other, but it feels like they’ve done this dance before. Their palms are sliding against each other, fingers intertwining. And it’s torturous, the kiss, a terrible mistake, or maybe the best choice Jeno’s made in a while. He wants to make a joke—something about seeing stars—but the only thing he can think about is how Donghyuck’s skin is so warm and electric under his fingertips, how the smooth skin of Donghyuck’s lips slides perfectly against his own. He knows Donghyuck is leaving, but right now he’s here and he’s _real_ , and Jeno is only a man. 

“I’ve wanted to do that since—since you had me hop on the handlebars of your bicycle,” Donghyuck says when they pull apart. He laughs but the sound is hollow, fading as he shakes his head before softly knocking his forehead against Jeno’s. Their noses brush. Donghyuck’s mouth is right there. 

“Oh,” Jeno whispers. 

“I didn’t think I’d actually do it.” Donghyuck swallows audibly. When he speaks next, his voice wavers. “I didn’t think I’d get another chance.” 

“You can have another chance.” 

“It’s better if we don’t.” Donghyuck allows his nose to slide against Jeno’s one last time before sighing and pulling back. Their fingers disentangle. 

☆★☆

In the morning Donghyuck is gone. 

Jeno can’t make himself get out of bed, resigned to the fact that this time it’s for real. No windows are open, his door is closed, and there’s not a single sign that would indicate someone else was in his room with him. 

He’s gone. Jeno knew this would happen. He knew it, but he wasn’t ready. His own words ring in his head. 

_“Is anything permanent?”_

☆★☆

Every Sunday, like clockwork, Jeno takes his bike out and he rides to where he first saw Donghyuck. He waits until the sun sets, hoping darkness will make it easier to see stars. There’s only one star he’s looking for. 

Just like in Jeno’s room, there’s hardly anything to suggest that Donghyuck ever landed at the clearing, not a mark in the dirt or trees, nothing other than Jeno’s own memories of making eye contact with him for the first time—his eyes opening to a color spectrum he’d never known before. 

“It’s getting colder now,” his mom comments one Sunday. “Maybe you should keep your bike rides just ‘round the neighborhood?” she suggests tentatively. 

Jeno shakes his head. He can tell his mom wants to ask more, about why he’s gone for so long every weekend. Why he comes back tired, weary, looking like he’s travelled cross country and back. Why he keeps going, even when the worsening chill makes his fingers a frightening shade of pink and his bones ache. Why he even bothers when the sky never changes from the same shade of blue. 

He sees flashes of Donghyuck in the sky. He sees him in every shining, beautiful thing. He sees him in his dreams, maybe the only place he’s actually known him. 

He doesn’t stop looking skyward, hoping one day pinks, purples, and yellows will streak across the sky again, bringing Donghyuck back to him. 

**Author's Note:**

> i can't help but feel like i'm not done with this universe... 
> 
> i have questions! jeno has questions! hyuck left! 
> 
> once again, thank you to the mods and thank you for reading <3  
> any and all kudos/comments are appreciated, lemme know what you think! :-)


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